The company is offering operational employees, such as flight attendants and pilots, who work qualifying shifts between November 15 and January 14 up to 120,000 Rapid Rewards Points from its frequent flyer program. The airline said the number of qualifying shifts varies by work group and was determined by each department’s holiday scheduling needs, Southwest confirmed to CNN.
American blamed the meltdown on bad weather in its Dallas-Fort Worth hub and a shortage of pilots and flight attendants.
Flight attendants for American who work between November 23 to November 29 and December 22 to January 2 will receive a 150% pay premium, according to an internal memo viewed by CNN. Those with no absences between November 15 to January 2 will receive an even higher premium of 300% for the hours they work during the peak holiday period.
“On the schedule front, we’ve ensured that November and December are built to meet customer demand and that they are fully supportable by our staffing,” COO David Seymour said in an internal staff note viewed by CNN.